I still don't know whether I loved this book or not. The writing was definitely something to get used to and I had to go at it a couple times to really continuing reading. I am a mood reader through and through and I definitely wasn't into this the first couple of times. It did take me a long time to get through this book because of the depth of everything involved. There are alot of things to pay attention to and it was quite difficult sometimes. The idea was definitely there though, I loved the idea of the trials and death.

The Book of Love was difficult for me. It is out of my genre and it was long. But, I am so glad I read it. The high school setting got me hooked and I was desperate to know the outcomes for these characters. While I do wish this was a bit shorter, it is a great book to get lost in

In "The Book of Love," Kelly Link spins a captivating tale brimming with magic, mystery, and the complexities of love. From the quaint seaside town of Lovesend to the eerie high school classroom where our protagonists reunite after their mysterious disappearance, Link's storytelling is spellbinding. Laura, Daniel, and Mo's journey back from the dead is fraught with twists and turns, accompanied by a cast of supernatural figures with their own agendas.

While Link's prose is undeniably beautiful, I found myself struggling with the book's hefty length. At over 600 pages, it occasionally felt like a marathon to get through. There were moments where my mind wandered, and I had to take breaks with other reads to stay engaged. Nonetheless, for readers seeking a sprawling narrative with lyrical prose and a touch of magic, "The Book of Love" might be just the ticket.

Quick Synopsis

Laura, Daniel, and Mo come back after being missing for a year. Their music teacher knows about what happened to them and makes a bargain with them. They have to use magic in order to stay where they are and figure out what happened to them.

My Review

I gave this book 2 out of 5 stars. It took me a long time to get into this book, which is already a bad start. If it takes me a long time to get into a book, that is not a good thing. Some parts of this book just didn’t make sense to me. Things would happen so quickly that I didn’t even know they happened. The plot of this story was focusing on so many different characters. I didn’t quite understand the god thing. The characters in this book were a bit annoying. They constantly seemed to be complaining or arguing with someone else. I didn’t like them. This book dragged out a lot. I wouldn’t recommend this book to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To say it simply, I really struggled with this book. At the beginning, I thought it was beautiful prose, and the characters were all gripping and interesting, but that didn’t last long.

This is my first read by Kelly Link. I know that she’s typically a short story writer, which shows in this novel. The writing was lyrical but sometimes to a confusing extent. As a reader, I want things left to my imagination. I don’t need to know about every thought of the characters of the story.

There was potential for the characters, but I found there was just too much to keep track of within this plot. Also, it was oddly graphic with sexuality within the book, but I didn’t feel like it brought much to the story.

I did enjoy the mythology of the magic within the story, and I wish there had been more towards the beginning of the story, rather than spilling it all out near the end.

I felt like there were many stories that could be pulled from this novel and made into separate stories or an anthology in the same town. It was just so difficult to digest as a 600-page novel…

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4.5 stars!

I absolutely love Kelly Link’s short fiction, so I was over the moon to see she had a novel coming out. The Book of Love is weird and wonderful, and despite the fact it’s definitely a commitment of a book at over 600 pages, it’s absolutely worth it.

I originally picked this up in a weird slump, but despite that it managed to hold my attention when I could wrangle my brain into agreeing to read, which I think says something in and of itself. I did find that it took the book a little bit to really get going—which, you know, you really do feel that when a book is so long, 10% of a book feels quite a bit longer—but the payoff was so good. I was okay with the setup taking its time because I love Link’s prose and the whimsy in her work, and I found it difficult to force myself to put the book down during the second half of the novel.

This is an urban-ish, portal-ish fantasy that borders on literary fiction, which is… probably what we should all expect from Kelly Link. It’s definitely a slow going story compared to what I usually read, but I really enjoyed lingering in the pages. I do think this book asks a lot from its readers and it’s definitely not straightforward (it does, at times, feels like it goes out of its way to misdirect you) but it’s the kind of book meant to be savored.

Sadly I don't think this book was for me, but I really appreciated what the book was doing even if I wasn't its perfect audience. I would recommend this book to fans of magical realism - this book takes you on a real journey!

To say that The Book of Love is nothing short of spectacular would be doing the novel a great disservice. This book was entertaining, captivating, beautiful in its entirety, and a definite re-read for my bookshelf. Combined with a near-lyrical prose and fable-like incredulity, Kelly Link creates a world that is entirely too familiar and yet vastly impossible, along with characters that are whole and complete in their own right.

This book felt like it didnt have a plan and was made up as it got written.

There is more character backstory than character building. The relationships between characters had no feeling behind them.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think I liked Link's works more in the short form.

The Book of Love by Kelly Link is a novel with magical realism. Late one night, Laura, Daniel, and Mo find themselves beneath the fluorescent lights of a high school classroom, almost a year after disappearing from their hometown, the small seaside community of Lovesend, Massachusetts, having long been presumed dead. Which, in fact, they are. With them in the room is their previously unremarkable high school music teacher, who seems to know something about their disappearance—and what has brought them back again. Desperate to reclaim their lives, the three agree to the terms of the bargain their music teacher proposes. They will be given a series of magical tasks; while they undertake them, they may return to their families and friends, but they can tell no one where they’ve been. In the end, there will be winners and there will be losers. But their resurrection has attracted the notice of other supernatural figures, all with their own agendas. As Laura, Daniel, and Mo grapple with the pieces of the lives they left behind, and Laura’s sister, Susannah, attempts to reconcile what she remembers with what she fears, these mysterious others begin to arrive, engulfing their community in danger and chaos, and it becomes imperative that the teens solve the mystery of their deaths to avert a looming disaster.

.......I honestly don't know what I read. There were too many characters and too repetitions of plot points, that it felt like this book was one big cliché.

I really tried to make it through this one because I love the concept behind it, but I found that there were too many subplots and characters for me to really attach to anyone.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. If you are looking for a very long book with a lot of words and descriptions, then this book is for you! Unfortunately, there was far too much description and unnecessary words for me, not to mention a very large cast of characters, and it made it very hard for me to keep any interest in the plot. I missed the fantasy description when I chose this book and that fault is my own. I mistakenly thought it was a book about love and life and family and friends, and it is, but not in a way that worked for me, and certainly not without a lot of concentration. If you like Sci Fi and fantasy genres then this book is for you!

dnfed at 20% - unfortunately, this book isn't for me. the world-building was confusing, i didn't enjoy the characters as much as i hoped, and the writing style fell flat around the five percent mark. although i didn't enjoy it very much myself, i sincerely hope whoever picks up this book thoroughly enjoys it! but all in all, thank you to netgalley and random house for providing me with an arc!

This was definitely a different storyline and I have to say it was written quite well. I loved the writing and the story, this is a very memorable book. I think that if you picknit up you will not be disappointed at all. A wonderful story to get caught up in.
I just reviewed The Book of Love by Kelly Link. #TheBookofLove #NetGalley
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This is an interesting book. It has a little bit of everything in it . A surreal magical fantasy about three older teens that died and came back a year later set to task to find out how they died and how they came back. It’s told from various points of view. It’s not for everyone because it can be some what weird but I enjoy weird (it gave me Library at Mount Char vibes while reading). It is a long book (over 600 pages) but I felt like it moved along at a good pace and I didn’t feel like I was reading 600+ pages.

I really wanted to love this. I am a HUGE Kelly Link fan, but this wore me down. I felt like some of the characters could have been cut and I would have had the same story. I am glad people love it.

This absolutely gutted me and that’s all I can possibly bring myself to say for now… pick this book up. Seriously.

This book had such an interesting premise and I loved the blurb and the props from Leigh Bardugo et al. Unfortunately, after a really strong first chapter, the book immediately lost me with Laura's perspective. I didn't feel like I had enough context before diving into her confusing narrative. I won't be finishing this book.

Going tonhave to DNF this one. I'm supremely bored. An all vibes no plot type of book. If you liked Addie LaRue you'll probably like this one.

3.5/5, rounded to 4 stars

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing for providing me with an eARC of The Book of Love. See below for my honest review.

I am not going to fault this book for how long I took to finish it, I blame CC3 for putting me in a terrible reading slump.

The Book of Love is a winding, nonlinear tale of magic and love, loyalty and betrayal. Anabin and Bogomil may be one of my favorite literary couples. How sweet, to sit side by side for centuries without being able to look the other in the eye and speak your mind.

Our characters range from 3 high school students who died a year ago, the sister of one of those students, their music teacher (a wizard?), a wolf (also a wizard?), someone who died hundreds of years ago (but isn't that person really), and a goddess (also the moon). Got it? Good.

They have faults and flaws, because sometimes doing magic seems like a bad idea. Or sometimes it seems like a great idea and you do something that is maybe considered unethical. Maybe sometimes you would rather give up than keep trying! After all, you died once, so what's so bad about dying again?

The Book of Love is slower paced, but I found the climax to be well-deserved and extremely satisfying.